Two Indians killed in South Africa, Australia

Two youths who left Hyderabad to chase dreams in distant lands, have been murdered in South Africa and Australia.

Two youths, who left this southern Indian city to chase dreams in distant lands, have been murdered in South Africa and Australia, leaving their families here traumatised by the news that reached them several days later.

While Mohammed Hamed, 25, was allegedly murdered by his friend hailing from the same state and his Pakistani wife in South Africa, J Rajneesh, 27, was killed in Australia when a man being chased by police hijacked his taxi and pushed him out of the moving vehicle.

Hamed's parents and family will not be able to see his body as the burial is scheduled to take place in South Africa on Thursday.

The family doesn't even have details of how and when Hamed was murdered. Rajneesh's body was shifted here on Wednesday and cremated the same day.

Hamed, who was running a provision store in Varina, South Africa, was murdered by Ashfaq, a native of Karimnagar district, who was assisting him in running the shop.

Ashfaq's Pakistani wife is also allegedly involved. Both the accused have reportedly been picked up by South African police.

The resident of Aliabad in the walled quarter had gone to South Africa last year to help his father, Mohammed Siddiq, a car mechanic. 'It was on July 13 that he informed us over the phone that he has set up a general store,' Siddiq said, fighting his tears.

When a month went by without his son contacting him, Siddiq grew anxious and called Hamed's friend Sultan, who also lives in South Africa.

His world came crashing down when Sultan informed him Tuesday that Hamed was murdered by his roommate.

Siddiq and his wife Tahera Begum, who have two sons and two daughters, suspect that Hamed was murdered over a property dispute.

They said their son had earned Rs.200,000 to Rs.300,000 and had planned to dispose of the shop and visit them.

In the other shocking incident, Rajneesh, who was pursuing a master's programme in Melbourne and working as a part-time car driver, was killed when Lebanese national Eilyup Zaim, being chased by police on suspicion of driving a stolen car, hijacked his taxi and pushed him out of the moving vehicle.

According to information available with Rajneesh's grief-stricken family, he was driving his taxi at Donvale in Melbourne on Aug 9 when the incident took place.

The youth received serious injuries and later died. The family came to know of the murder only on Aug 14 and the body was brought here on August 16.

Son of J Padma Rao, a retired employee of state-owned Road Transport Corporation, Rajneesh had left for Australia in July last year.

He was pursuing Master of Accountancy from Institute of Technology at Melbourne.